Kitarō/Anime and Movies
Portrayals Kitarō is usually cool and collected, but he also has a strong sense of justice and can be very passionate. Because of this, he has a good-natured side that can't ignore the plights of people or yōkai. He even forgives Shūichi Yamada for transforming him into the Dai Kaijū. In the story Umibōzu-sensei he proclaims to be swayed by "love and justice" (this was said in retaliation to Nezumi-Otoko, who had asked him to stop saying lines he probably heard in a cheap movie somewhere). He dislikes anyone who commits or aides in bad deeds and has even punished humans on occasion. However, in the rental manga his compassion was very weak, and he is depicted as leading a creepy life tricking humans into misfortune. He also has a soft spot for both human and yōkai girls, and sometimes gets tricked by them. This aspect of his personality was also depicted in the third and fifth anime as well as the live action movies. Over the course of the anime series, his personality has changed slightly. First & Second Anime He is basically the same character as in the manga, with more emphasis on his sense of justice. The first anime also gave him a more childlike personality, while the second series made him a bit more mature. Third Anime Kitarō's sense of justice and passionate personality are at their strongest here. His weakness for pretty girls is also established here. Compared to the rest of the franchise he is far more active, with only fragments of his calmer, gloomier personality from the manga showing. Though he greatly wishes for coexistence between humans and yōkai, he can deal pretty severe punishments, such as when he struck Yamada repeatedly for turning him into the Dai Kaijū. Fourth Anime Because of the more laid back style of the series, he is a lot calmer and has a dry side to him. Because of this, there are more cases where he forgives yōkai without defeating them. He also no longer has a weakness for pretty girls and instead is more gentlemanly. He usually stays calm even when angered but has some moments where reacts more violently, such as when he attacked Wanyūdō with a lead pipe for turning Neko-Musume into a diamond and eating her soulGeGeGe no Kitarō (1996): Episode 5 and when he struck Genzō Furunoguni for badmouthing Anagura-Nyūdō after he sacrificed himself to save humans.GeGeGe no Kitarō (1996): Episode 107 However, he does still have the occasional comedic moments. Fifth Anime Depicted now as eternally a young boy, Kitarō still has a sense of justice and a child-like side, but is now more cynical. In contrast to the previous anime adaptations, his desire for humans and yōkai to co-exist is significantly weaker and he is more willing to punish humans who commit wicked deeds, especially if children are involved. However, he still has comical moments and can be pretty easy-going. His weakness for pretty girls is also revived. When Gorgon failed to absorb the evil from Kitarō's soul, Konaki-Jijii proclaimed that Kitarō possessed "a heart that doesn't lean toward good or evil". A flashback in episode #85 revealed that as a child, his yōkai power was so wild he destroyed an entire village.GeGeGe no Kitarō (2007): Episode 85 He was calmed then by Aobōzu, and from that moment on looked up to Aobōzu like an older brother, even calling him Ao-niisan (蒼兄さん, Big Bro Ao). Sixth Anime *'Character Analysis' In the sixth anime he has an aloof and blunt personality, rarely changing his facial expressions. Other than the Hakaba anime, this is the first series that references him being raised by Mizuki and it is said that he helps humans to return the favor. Despite this, he is initially shown to be quite cold and antisocial towards humans. Under the opinion that too much exposure to yōkai is not good for humans, he tries his best to avoid the human world as much as possible. Even so, he cares deeply for those that become his friends. Kitarō is easily consumed by anger, especially upon hearing morally absurd remarks from his enemies or when his allies are in danger. He is also willing to punish wicked humans and yōkai alike for their crimes, like in the fifth anime. On the other hand, he is considerate, kind, and polite around those he is comfortable with or to those that he feels he must show hospitality for. Although he stands strong when in an argument or when expressing his views with characters like Nezumi-Otoko, Mana, and the GeGeGe Forest yōkai, he loses his confidence when debating against guests like Miminaga. *'Proof of Character' Since episode one, Kitarō is generally seen to be calm and collected in a wide variety of situations. At times, he can be slightly irritated at the actions of others but decides to keep quiet, such as when Mana pinched his face over saying her name wrong. When dealing with persistent characters like Mana and Yūta, he tends to give up and let them have their way. This was also seen in episode one, when Kitarō let Mana come with him to have a rematch with the Nobiagari. In episode four, Kitarō tried to make Yūta leave the GeGeGe Forest, though he gives up when the human boy is on the verge of tears. Kitarō displays intimidating facial expressions on several occasions, such as when he is angry or when he wants to warn others. As mentioned, he is very willing to punish malicious beings without regret, an example of which is when he tricked a company president to board the Ghost Train departing for Jigoku. *'Character Development' Upon the introduction of characters like Mana and Agnès in addition to facing multiple critical situations, Kitarō undergoes character development throughout the series. References pt-br:Kitarō/Retratos vi:Kitarō/Anime và phim Category:Character Subpage